POLSC332: The Presidency and the Executive Branch

Unit 2: The Foreign Policy and National Security of the PresidentThe
Constitution endows the president with the powers of commander-in-chief,
head of state, and chief diplomat. In so doing, the president—and by
extension, the executive branch—is, first and foremost, responsible for
national security of the United States and appropriate foreign relations
with other countries. The president is the leader of the armed forces,
the national intelligence apparatus, and the state department. Although
each president approaches foreign policy differently, the president
traditionally makes use of various institutions and organizations to
carry out his or her foreign policy agenda. Unit 2 provides an overview
of national security, diplomatic, and foreign policy roles of the
president and executive branch. It explains the roles played by the key
institutions and organizations that promulgate the president’s agenda:
The Defense Department, the National Security Council, the Department of
Homeland Security, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the State
Department. Moreover, with the advent of globalization and
technological advancement, Unit 2 provides an historical analysis of
this changing role and the varying foreign policy agendas of US
presidents.

Unit 2 Time Advisory
Time Advisory: Completing this unit should take approximately 25.5
hours.

☐ Subunit 2.1: 6.5 hours

☐ Subunit 2.2: 2 hours

☐ Subunit 2.3: 1 hour

☐ Subunit 2.4: 3.25 hours

☐ Subunit 2.5: 12.75 hours

Unit2 Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- discuss the ways in which foreign policy is developed;
- analyze the main actors in foreign policy development;
- explain the shared foreign policy powers of the president and
Congress;
- analyze the factors that go into foreign policy decisions;
- discuss the constraints upon a president’s authority to use force
abroad;
- explain the role of secrecy in US foreign policy;
- analyze the historical background of US foreign policy;
- describe the major actors on the National Security Council;
- explain the role of the National Security Council;
- discuss the contribution of the intelligence community in national
security;
- discuss the mission of the US Department of State;
- explain how diplomacy is essential for effective national security
and foreign policy;
- discuss the foreign policy of the Obama Administration; and
- analyze the historical foreign policy agendas of past
administrations.

2.1 National Security and the Presidency
- Reading: David L. Paletz, Diana Owen, and Timothy E. Cook’s
American Government and Politics in the Information Age: “Chapter
17: Foreign and National Security Policies”
Link: David L. Paletz, Diana Owen, and Timothy E. Cook’s American
Government and Politics in the Information Age: “Chapter 17:
Foreign and National Security
Policies”
(HTML)

Instructions: Please click on the link above and read the entire
chapter. Take notes as needed.
Reading this selection and taking notes should take approximately 2
hours.
Terms of Use: The textbook above is released under a [Creative
Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Share-Alike License
3.0](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/). It is
attributed to David L. Paletz, Diana Owen, and Timothy E. Cook.

Reading: US Department of State: CRS Report to Congress: Richard
F. Grimmett’s “Foreign Policy Roles of the President and Congress”
Link: US Department of State: CRS Report to Congress: Richard F.
Grimmett’s “Foreign Policy Roles of the President and
Congress”
(PDF)

Instructions: Please read the entire report above. You should pay
special attention to the manner in which national security and
foreign policy are formulated and how the power is shared between
the president and Congress. This will also be relevant to Unit 3,
which discusses the checks and balances and the separation of powers
between the president and Congress. Take notes as needed.

Reading this selection and taking notes should take approximately 1
hour.

Instructions: Please read the entire article, especially focusing
on the major actors and operation of the National Security
Council.
Reading this selection and taking notes should take approximately 2
hours.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above

Instructions: Please read the entire article on the need to
maintain a robust intelligence capability. Take notes as needed.
Reading this selection and taking notes should take approximately
30 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

2.4 The State Department and US Diplomacy
- Reading: US Department of State: “Mission Statement”
Link: US Department of State: “Mission
Statement”
(HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire article about the foundational
goals and purpose of the US Department of State. Take notes as
needed.
Reading this selection and taking notes should take approximately
30 minutes.
Terms of Use: This material is in the public domain.

Web Media: YouTube: Regents of the University of California:
Conversations with History: “Diplomacy and US Foreign Policy”
Link: YouTube: Regents of the University of California:
Conversations with History: “Diplomacy and US Foreign
Policy”
(YouTube)

Instructions: Please watch the entire video about the role of
diplomacy in US foreign policy.

Watching this video and taking notes should take approximately 1
hour and 15 minutes.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

Instructions: Open the above lecture in iTunes, and then click on
the relevant section (“President Obama and the Future of Foreign
Policy”). Please listen to the entire lecture, pausing to take notes
as needed.

Studying this lecture and taking notes should take approximately 1
hour and 30 minutes.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

Instructions: For each link above, read about each president’s
foreign policy agendas and history. Take particular note of the
major foreign policy events in their respective presidencies and how
each president generally approached foreign policy. Please take
notes.
Reading these selections and taking notes should take approximately
2 hours.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

Instructions: For each link above, read about each president’s
foreign policy agendas and history. Take particular note of the
major foreign policy events in their respective presidencies and how
each president generally approached foreign policy. Also, please
watch the videos as you do the reading; these videos demonstrate one
of the most powerful tools a president has: domestic and
international rhetoric. Please take notes as needed.

Reading this selection and taking notes should take approximately 3
hours.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

Instructions: Please read about President Clinton’s foreign policy
agenda and history. Take particular note of the major foreign policy
events of his presidency and how he generally approached foreign
policy. Please take notes as needed.

Reading this selection and taking notes should take approximately
30 minutes.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

Instructions: For each link above, read about President Obama’s
foreign policy agenda and history. Take particular note of the major
foreign policy events of his presidency and how he generally
approached foreign policy. Please take notes.

Reading this selection and taking notes should take approximately
30 minutes.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.